Okay, so I (17M) don’t even know where to start with this, but I really need some advice. For the last two years, I’ve been living with my aunt (43F) in New Mexico after my mom passed and my dad dipped. She’s always been kind of unpredictable but never anything like this.
About a month ago, she told me and my little cousin (she’s 8) that she had to go on a quick trip to help a friend move in Arizona and might be gone “for a couple of days.” She left us with some food, gave me the PIN to her debit card “just in case,” and told me not to worry.
At first, it was kinda cool. I’m used to taking care of myself and my cousin anyway, since my aunt works a lot. But then the days turned into a week, and now it’s been almost five weeks. She still texts me every couple days, sometimes even sends selfies like she’s totally fine and relaxing somewhere. But when I ask when she’s coming back, she dodges the question every single time. I’ve even asked directly, like, “Are you okay? Are you coming back?” and she’ll say “Don’t worry, you’re doing great.”
I’m doing all the cooking, shopping, helping my cousin with school stuff, keeping the house clean, and making sure no one notices anything weird. I even lied to her school and said my aunt was sick when they called about a permission slip. But I’m losing it. Like mentally exhausted. I haven’t slept properly in days and I’m scared someone’s gonna find out and we’ll both get taken away or something.
I haven’t called CPS or the cops because technically she’s still in contact with me, and nothing looks “abandoned,” but come on. She LEFT. She’s not here. And I have no idea if she’s ever coming back.
What do I do here? I don’t want to ruin our lives or get my cousin taken away, but I’m just a teenager and this is way too much. Is there anyone I can talk to without it going nuclear? Do I just wait? Please help.
Comments
Force her to answer when she’s coming back. Tell her that you’re calling the cops if she doesn’t come back soon. She’ll probably get angry but it’s better than being alone as a teenager taking care of a child indefinitely. Do your best to keep it up if it’s what you think you should do, but I don’t think you should be by yourself, much less with a child, so do call the cops if you believe it’s necessary.
Well fuck. I mean… you should probably call CPS. I don’t know what legally counts as being abandoned, but it definitely sounds like you guys were. If she’s your guardian her responsibility is to you, not whatever she’s doing now. If you want to give her a chance, let her know you’re calling CPS if she doesn’t come back. Again, I really don’t think a teen is supposed to be left home alone that long. What if there’s a fire? What if one of you gets hurt? How about an intruder? Seriously consider calling CPS, for your own safety. It’ll be the right thing to do. I’m really sorry you’ve been put into this situation. Good luck and be brave.